WEST WINDSOR — Montclair State-bound Connor Lindsay bounced back from a tough first inning on the mound, Brandon Ruetsch drove in five runs and all nine members of Allentown’s starting lineup either scored or drove in a run in a 12-2 romp over
Robbinsville Post 530 in Mercer County American Legion League action Saturday at sun-baked Mercer County Park.

The most impressive aspect of Allentown’s 10-run rule victory that ended after six innings when Reid Anderson’s none-out triple plated Austin Lindsay?

A seven-run second-inning outburst came at the hands of Robbinsville righty Ryan Krebs (3-1), who hadn’t allowed a run in 27⅓ innings.

But when Mark Duffy followed Anderson’s single with a line drive on a pitch only six inches off the ground, the Allentown (13-3) offense was off and running, culminated by Ruetsch’s grand slam to left field that made it 7-2.

“I golfed that one,’’ said Duffy, who will attend Catholic University in the fall and study finance. “I had two strikes, so I had to just try and put the ball in play. It was nice. We got into a nice rhythm.’’

Ironically, while Ruetsch’s at-bat was the most productive of Allentown’s 15-hit attack, it might not have happened were it not for some luck on the previous pitch.

“The pitch before was close,’’ said Ruetsch. ‘’To be honest with you, I thought it was strike three. (The homer) wasn’t my best swing, but the ball was carrying today.’’

Connor Lindsay (3-2) was in anything but a good rhythm in the first inning when two infield singles and Bob Sanders’ two-RBI hit put him in a 2-0 hole and left him out on the mound for 30 laboring pitches. But a strikeout of Robbinsville’s Tyler Gafgen was his second of what would be nine in five innings and the start of retiring seven straight batters.

“It was rough,’’ the pitcher said of the effects of the heat in the long first inning. “I didn’t like it in the beginning, but I got better as I went along. I used more fastballs and kept it low. They were battling every at-bat, so I tried to let them hit the ball and let my defense do its job.’’

Allentown broke the game open with a four-run fourth fueled by back-to-back doubles by Kyle Golla and Ruetsch and Duffy’s two-run double.